New Downtown Tulsa teen curfew takes effect to address weekend crowds, crime

A new curfew for teens in downtown Tulsa takes effect June 26th, aimed at curbing large weekend crowds and increasing concerns over public safety. Starting Thursday, anyone under 18 must be out of the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., every Thursday through Sunday morning.

What Does the New Tulsa Curfew Say?

Q: When is the curfew in effect?

The curfew is active Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through October 22.

Q: Who does the curfew apply to?

It applies to anyone under 18 within the IDL (downtown Tulsa) unless accompanied by an adult or leaving work.

Q: What happens if someone violates it?

Tulsa Police say officers will give multiple warnings, and citations could follow if teens refuse to leave.

What Are Residents and Business Owners Saying?

Q: Why was the curfew put in place?

Residents and downtown business owners say crowds of teens have made the area feel less safe, especially late at night.

"I think it's going to help people want to come downtown more just knowing that curfew’s in place."

— Stacey Frye, Downtown Tulsa resident

"I think the problem is quite a bit bigger than just people under 18."

— Elsa Cross, Downtown Tulsa resident

What Do Police Say About the Curfew?

Q: Is this curfew tied to the recent Juneteenth shooting?

Tulsa Police say no, the curfew has been discussed for a while and is not a direct response to the deadly shooting during the Juneteenth Festival.

"Our downtown partners, the people who live downtown, work downtown, have businesses downtown, they’ve been asking for some type of relief for some time."

— Captain Richard Meulenberg, Tulsa Police

Q: How will it be enforced?

Police will not bring in extra officers, but those on duty will ask teens to leave once curfew begins.

"If we can start getting some of these kids to leave the area before we start having a huge influx of drinking adults, that’d be preferable."

— Capt. Meulenberg

Exceptions to the Curfew

1. Teens accompanied by a parent or guardian
2. Teens who are leaving or returning from work
3. Special events with adult supervision

RELATED COVERAGE

1. Tulsa curfew for teens takes effect after string of downtown violence
2. Tulsa City Council expands teen curfew for downtown to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday & Saturday
3. Tulsa mayor announces plan to address city's gun violence, proposed downtown curfew